KelTec RDB Survival 223 Remington/5.56 NATO Semi Auto Rifle - Green, 16.1" Barrel, 10+1 Rounds

I love this gun.. It is shorter than I imagined.. very handy. It is heavier than expected, given it's size it feels very dense, it's weight is more than I would want in a backpack, but as a truck gun, it would excel.. On arrival it had issues with the trigger not resetting. I sent it back to Keltec who fixed it and sent it back quickly. No problems since. It has never jammed. The Sights are a bit flimsy, the front one popped off on me once.. not sturdy enough for a "survival rifle" but they do fold flat and protected. I'm using a red dot on it, a sighting system appropriate for the intended use of this gun. The front sight can be removed and a flash hider installed, but it would be better if there was a threaded barrel beyond the front sight. No useful way to put a sling on it, that's odd. There are flat slots at either end which I suppose could be used but nothing quick detach. Taking it apart is a matter of a couple of captive pins, theoretically easy but the parts are a bit tricky to line up when reassembling. (maybe that's just me) It's a comfortable gun to shoot and a lot of fun. Right now there are a lot of PCC's out there, "Pistols" with folding braces shooting 9mm.. This gun is just as short and far more potent with a 16" barrel and .556 chambering. Kind of like the MIB "Noisy Cricket"

Amazing. I love this rifle. It is soft shooting. More accurate then I expected.

The RDB-S is a crowd favorite every time I take it to the range. I handed it to a friend's coworker on the last range trip. He enjoys competitive shooting. He was immediately impressed that the little RDB-S is shorter and lighter than his SBR. Look ma! No tax stamp! Then I told him the bullpup design allows a full length barrel so there is no compromise with the terminal ballistics. He had a blast plinking at a hanging bowling pin at 110 yards and did well with the open sights. It's a great little high speed low drag 5.56 rifle. I find myself reaching for it more often than not when heading to the range. It's just so fun to shoot, and I enjoy others enjoying my RDB-S almost as I enjoy shooting it myself. So far, my RDB-S has been 100% reliable with a wide variety of 55 gr and 62 gr brass case ammo, as has my 17" RDB.
I usually shoot the RDB-S with a small ten round magazine that doesn't protrude to keep it lightweight and streamlined, but it's goofy-fun to put a 40 round Pmag in this little rifle. I have a 100 round Surefire quad stack mag, but that's too goofy, even for me.

I've been avoiding writing this review. When this amazing little rifle was first announced, I was really excited and wanted one as soon as I could get it. I already proudly owned their earlier ultralight SU-16C rifle, also chambered in .223/5.56, and it works very reliably. It's the lightest rifle I have in that caliber, but with the long piston gas system, it doesn't even recoil badly. Plus it folds and can fit in hiking backpack and can fire while folded like a pistol, if necessary. But back to the RDB-S. I thought it would be as reliable. I was wrong. Right off the bat I was getting many, many light primer strikes. Couldn't even get through a mag of any brand of ammo (I tried several) without 10 light hits. So Kel Tec sent me a replacement firing pin. No joy. Same problem. So I bit the bullet and shipped it back. To their credit, Kel Tec customer service was great and they got the RDB-S back to me in 3 weeks. They replaced the hammer assembly and polished the feed ramp. Light primer strike problem was fixed! First time out after the repair I took it out and it fed and fired everything. Yay! After about 100 rounds of various ammo without problem it happened: a triple fire that scared the hell out out me. After that the trigger would not reset and the hammer would not stay back and the cross bolt safety would not work. Looks like the trigger pack failed or the sear broke or something. So now I have to send it back. Again. I have less than 250 rounds total through this rifle and it has broken twice. Kel Tec is one of the most innovative companies out there and I love most of their stuff. I have many of their products. Sub 2000 Gen 1 and 2-no problems. KSG 12 gauge-no problems. SU-16-no problems. CMR30-no problems. PMR pistol-lots of problems. P-32 pistol-lots of problems. RDB-S-lots of problems. It's just hit or miss for me. Maybe your experiences differ. These are just mine. I won't stop buying Kel Tec. I like their desire and dedication to bringing different ideas to market. But you take your chances.